Warzone (Band)
Warzone was an American hardcore band with a broad audience (among skinheads and punks ).
Band History
Ray " Raybeez " Barbieri was one of the founders of the New York hardcore scene. After playing at United Blood, the debut EP from Agnostic Front, drums, he decided in 1981 to start his own band Skinhead Youth. In 1982, he finally founded Warzone with his younger brother Todd Youth (guitar, later Murphy 's Law ), Tommy Ratt (vocals) and Walter Schreifels (bass, later with various bands such as Youth of Today, Quicksand and Gorilla Biscuits ). Influenced by Oi! Bands such as The Last Resort, The 4-Skins and the early Skrewdriver took you a skinhead image. Between 1982 and 1987 there were line- up problems again and again. 1986 Ratt Tommy left the group, Barbieri took over from there to the song.
Only in 1987 was released the debut EP Lower East Side Crew, the first publication of Ray Cappos label Revelation Records. In the same year the debut album Do not Forget the Struggle, Do not Forget the Streets ( Fist Records) appeared. In 1988 their second album Open Your Eyes, by Dr. Know ( Bad Brains) was produced. The line-up was now beside Barbieri from the two guitarists Paul Canade and Jay Vento ( "Crazy Jay Skin" ), drummer Erik komst ( " EK " ) and John Omen on bass.
With their self-titled third album in 1989 Warzone took metal influences into their music. The album flopped, however, were too serious for many fans, the changes in style. After a short break in the early 1990s, the band signed to Victory Records. In 1994 the album Old School to New School. The cover album of songs gathered companions such as Cause for Alarm and Youth of Today. 1995 saw a split CD with Cause for Alarm. Meanwhile, there was the line-up from Barbieri, Todd Youth (guitar), Brian Goss (guitar), Todd "The Kid" (bass) and Vinny Value (drums). It was followed by Lower East Side, a new recording of the first EP with J -Sin as the sole guitarist.
1997 appeared the album The Sound of Revolution, produced by Dr. Know. Ray " Raybeez " Barbieri, the only permanent member of the band, died on 11 September 1997 at the age of 35 years, the consequences of pneumonia. This marked the end of the band. Posthumously published the finished before his death album Fight for Justice.
Style
The hardcore sound of Warzone is from Oi!, Traditional punk rock and, especially in the later albums, Metal influences. Warzone is one of the most influential bands of the New York Hardcore, embodied like no other that style .. Although Warzone never was a pure straight-edge band, they had a certain influence on this scene. So Warzone joined with numerous straight-edge bands, Barbieri supported the scene around the CBGB and wrote some songs about the movement ( Throw Me a Line, Free at Last ).
As the New York hardcore band Agnostic Front Barbieri sought not only to the cohesion of the hardcore and skinhead scene, but also animated women and girls in the male-dominated hardcore punk scene to be active (eg with " " Brother and Sisterhood ").
Controversy
Despite clear texts as War Between Races, who clearly directed against racial prejudice, were Warzone due to some other texts ( The American Movement) and symbols such as the Iron Cross in the critique of left-wing scene. In Germany, the group was mainly criticized for a given interviews in 1988 ZAP. In the interview, Ray " Raybeez " Barbieri was negative towards communists and SHARP pronounced and beyond expressed sympathy for the " White Power " movement. More than a concert, which took place in Berlin SO36, 1995 has been widely discussed at the time in the anti-fascist scene. Here, out of context quotes from said ZAP interview were used. However, cooperation with Dr. Know from Bad Brains ( one consisting of black musicians hardcore and later reggae band ), and various explanations in interviews which allow these allegations appear to be unfounded:
" What happened was that certain people " PCs " spread rumors that we had White Power Nazis, which is really, really stupid. [ ... ] So I can surely White Power be bad and constantly hang out with the Bad Brains. They made this poster for the I Against I (Note: the 1986 album by Bad Brains); I am the only skinhead on this poster, who works on the stage. "